HE TABLE IS SET!" 



A COMEDY IN ONE ACT, 



APT ED FROM THE GERMAN OF .BENEDIX 



BY 



WELL AND HENDRICK, A. M. 




SYRACUSE, N* 

\v bardeei**1s 



"THE TABLE IS SET! 



A COMEDY IN ONE ACT, 

Adapted from the German of Benedix 



by 

WELLAND HENDRICK, A. M. 




Copyright, 1888, by 0. W^ardeen. 



5 



CHARACTERS. 

Mr. William King. 
Emma, his wife. 

Me. Hoffman, Father to Emma. 
Katherine, his Wife. 

El£a Y ' 1 Servants t0 Mr - Kin S- 



\ % 



7Ym€, 55 minutes. 



PROPERTIES. 



Dining room furniture ; stand; table; table-cloth; 
plates, cups, etc., for four; newspaper, books, sew- 
ing, two shawls. 



Mrs 



COSTUMES. 



rdinary modern dress; morning wrapper for 
Irs. King; slippers for Mr. King; waiter's apron 
for Henry. 



SITUATIONS. 

S 

R, means right as the actor faces the audience; 
X, left, G } center. 



"THE TABLE IS SET!" 



(A .Dining room scene ; Henry is discovered 
laying cloth on table C.) 

Eliza. (Behind the scenes.) Henry, Hen- 
ry, open the door ! 

Henry. Yes, I will help you. {Opens the 
door for Eliza coming in with dishes in both 
hands ; attempts to kiss her,) 

E. Stop, Henry, what if some one should 
see us ? {They set the table.) 

E. Mr. King might come in any minute, 
and what if he — 

H. Well, supposing he had seen it; what 
then ? # 

E. I should have died of shame. 

H. What for? He kisses his wife, for 
you know he has been married but three 
months — 

E. Yes, his wife. If you were my hus- 
band — 

H. By the way, how long before that 
time will happeu ? 



4 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



E. Ah ! who knows ? 

H. ( With his arm around her.) Any way 
not so soon as we want it to, eh ! 

E. [Drawing away.) That's pretty talk I 
'Tend to setting the table there. The old 
people are going to be here to breakfast this 
morning. 

H. They're a nice old couple, aren't they ? 
I cau't give you a father-in-law, I'm sorry to 
say. 

E. That's no matter. No more can I. 

H. Well, 1 think that we two will be 
enough for ourselves. (Stepping back.) Heav- 
en be praised, the table is set ! 

E. Yes. 

H. What ? 

E. Nothing, I said yes. 
H. Tint's not enough; you should say that* 
E. Say what ? (Mr. K. comes to door Z, 
and stepping back occasionally, remains unseen}) 
H. u Heaven be praised, the table is set ! '* 
E. What for ? 

H. That's the proper thing to say. 
E. Nonsense ! 

H. When any one has finished anything 
then he should say, "Heaven be praised," 
or " Heaven be thanked, that thing is done." 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



5 



E. Pshaw ! 

H. It is a pious custom and brings good 
luck for one to say that when he has fin- 
ished — 

E. O go 'long with your silliness. Bring 
that chair — 

H. Lizzie, it isn't silliness. You must 
not act so like an infidel. (Coaxingly.) 
Now come here and say just as I do, "Heav- 
en be praised, the table is set ! " 

E. No! 

H. Won't you, to please me ? 
E. I will not ! 
H. You will not ? 
E. No ! 

H. If I should say "Please" then would 
you say " I will not ? " 

E. Yes, yes, yes; if I will notf then I 
will not, even if you say " please " ten times 
over. 

H. Why Lizzie ! 

E. I mean if you ask such nonsense as — 

H. I tell you it isn't nonsense, but even 
if it were, you ought to say it simply be- 
cause I wish it. 

E. I shan't do it. 

H. Eliza ! 



6 



"the table is set!" 



E. Henry ! 

H. I tell you, you must say it. 

E. I must ? 

H. Yes, I demand it. 

E. O say, young man, is there anything 
in particular the matter with you ? 

H. Come now, no fooling; I am in earn- 
est. You shall say " Heaven be praised, the 
table is set ! " 

E. T shall say it ? 

H. Yes ! 

E. I shall, I must, eh ? 

H. You shall and must. 

E. (Sarcastically, after waiting). Well, I 
am not doing it. 

H. Lizzie, please say it. 

E. I won't do it and I won't do it even if 
you should stand on your head and ask me. 

H. We shall see about that. 

E. We shall see about that. 

H. Come now, Miss Stubborn, will you 
not do as I ask you ? 

E. No ! 

H. That you shall ! (Pinches her arm.) 
E. Oh! 
H. Say it ! 

E. No ! Oh ! Oh ! Don't ? 



44 THE TABLE IS SET !" 



7 



H. " Heaven be praised, the table is set ! " 
E. No, no ! You cruel fellow to pinch 
me so. 

H. All right, it's all up with us, then. 
[Letting go her hand). 

E. Just as you say ! 

H. Do you give me up so carelessly ? 

E. Yes, if you will act like a fool. 

H. Can't you say just those few words ? 

E. I will not, I will not, I will not. 

H. Well then no more between us. 

E. We'll speak of that later. (Going R.) 

H. Lizzie (She stops). " Heaven be prais- 
ed, the table is set ! " 

E. (Stampmg her foot,) No ! (Exit R.) 

H. Obstinacy, thy name is woman. Re- 
quest, demand, force, — all in vain. Why, it 
seems as if I could strike her. 

Mr. King. (Coming forward,) I wouldn't 
do it just yet, Henry; let her alone, she'll 
say it after a while 

H. O sir, have you heard — 

Mr. K. A part of your quarrel; yes, yes, 
that girl is head strong. 

H. O, she is generally good. I don't 
know what has got into her head, this 
morning. 



8 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! 99 



Mr. K. Yes, it takes a pretty smart man 
to keep track of the things women get into 
their heads. But go and fetch me the morn- 
ing paper. 

H. (Going.) She shall say it yet! (ExitR). 

Mr. K. (Sits at table and reads.) I wonder 
what keeps her so long. She ought to have 
been down by this time. O, there she is ! 

Mrs. K. (Entering Z.) Good morning, 
dear. 

Mr. K. Good morning, Emma. 

Mrs. K. How have you slept ? 

Mr. K. Splendidly ! The happy always 
sleep well. 

Mrs. K. And are you happy? 

Mr. K. Certainly; are you not my wife? 

Mrs. K. O, you flatterer ! Now you must 
stop that. We have been married full three 
months and you must begin to act like a 
married man and stop playing the lover. 

Mr. K. And that would suit you, wouldn't 
it? 

Mrs. K. Well, you know, everyone tells 
me that men change after they are married 
and so of course I must prepare for it; and 
the longer you are so lover-like, just so much 
harder it will be to break off. 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



9 



Mr. K. My dear, I shall never change 
toward you. I shall always be as I have 
been. 

Mrs. K. Indeed I hope you always will. 

Mr. K. I know you are the best wife iu 
the world. You do what I wish even before 
I speak. 

Mrs. K. And don't you do the same ? 

Mr. K. How can I resist your eyes when 
they look at me so lovingly and — beg for a 
kiss ! 

Mrs. K. Please do not say, sir, that my 
eyes beg for kisses; they simply grant them. 

Mr. K. Well, grant one now. {Kisses 
her. Mrs. K. sits and sews.) 

Mr. K. ( Laughing.) O, I, ha ha ! just now 
I— 

Mrs. K. Well what did you just now? 
It must have been very funny. 

Mr. K. Oh, I overheard a comical con- 
versation. 

Mrs. K. Overheard? Ah, William ! 

Mr. K. Entirely by accident. As I was 
coming from my room I heard a lively con- 
versation. I stood still; Henry and Eliza 
had set the table, and Henry said thereupon, 
with his important air, " Heaven be praised, 



10 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



the table is set ! " and demanded of Lizzie 
that she should say the same, as anyone 
should after any work is finished. 
Mrs. K. How silly ! 

Mr. K. Eliza refused, Henry insisted; 
then they fell into a regular quarrel; he tried 
to make her say it; but she was obstinate and 
wouldn't do it. 

Mrs. K. Humph ! It would be hard to tell, 
I should think, who was the more obstinate, 
Henry or Eliza. 

Mr. K. But he asked her to do it. 

Mrs. K. It was such a foolish request. 

Mr. K. Yes, but so insignificant that there 
was no use in her being so stubborn. 

Mrs. K. Well, I don't think that Lizzie 
did wrong. 

Mr. K. We won't quarrel about it. Suck 
a thing could not happen to us. (Mrs. K» 
looks at him quickly.) If I should ask such a 
little thing of you, you would do it, wouldn't 
you? 

Mrs. K. Hm, hm ! 

Mr. K. I am certain you would do it. 

Mrs. K. But supposing 1 did not do it ? 

Mr. K. That is not supposable; I would 
bet my money on it. 



u THE TABLE IS SET ! n 



11 



Mrs. K. Don't bet, 

Mr. K. Well, we'll proceed to find out 
about it. 

Mrs. K. No, don't. 

Mr. K. Please, clear Emma, say just once, 
— " Heaven be praised, the table is set ! " 

Mrs. K. O, go away; you are so childish. 

Mr. K. Please, please say it. 

Mrs. K. What a thing to ask ! 

Mr. K. Come dear,say just once, "Heaven 
be praised, the table is set ! " 

Mrs. K. No, I don't want to say such 
stuff as that. 

Mr. K. You will not say it ? 

Mrs. K. No. 

Mr. K. Cau you refuse me when I ask 
you so kindly ? 

Mrs. K. But it would be so childish ta 
say that ! 

Mr, K. Childish or not, that has nothing 
to do with it; the question is merely, — will 
you do as I ask ? 

Mrs. K, It is wrong for you to ask such a 
thing. 

Mr. K. That may be but you surely do 
wrong to refuse me. 

Mrs. K. I do wrong? That is the first 



12 



"the table is set ! " 



time you ever said that to me ! I don't see 
how you can make such nonsensical demands 
of one you love. 

Mr. K. O, I haven't made any demands 
yet, I have merely desired you to say those 
words. 

Mrs. K. And supposing you do demand it. 
Mr. K. Why— uh— 
Mrs. K. And supposing you do demand it. 
Mr. K. Why, then you would not dare to 
refuse. 

Mrs. K. Then indeed I would refuse. 
Mr. K. What ! 

Mrs. K. You presume to demand of me ! 
You would debase me. Perhaps I would 
have done as you requested, but I will obey 
your demand, — never. [Enter Eliza L.) I 
have left my handkerchief somewhere ( Going). 

Mr. K. Stay, Emma, let us drop the mat- 
ter; it began as a mere joke. 

Mrs. K. Did I do it ? You are the one 
that turned the joke to earnest. 

{Henry enters with newspaper which he places 
on table. He seems to speak earnestly with Eliza, 
who shakes her head and goes off L % Henry follows 
shaking his fist.) 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



13 



Mr. K. Have you come to your senses 
or are you determined to be obstinate ? 

Mrs. K. Obstinate ! You know I can't 
bear that word. I am not obstinate; it is 
you who are so foolishly stubborn. 

Mr. K. Foolish or not, is no matter. All 
I want is that you do as I wish. I would 
not have believed for a minute that you 
would ever say " no " to me. I can't bear 
the thought of it. 

Mrs. K. O, is that so ? I am never to 
say no; just yes, yes, yes. You're like all 
the men; you don't want a lively wife and 
companion; you just want your wife to be a 
slave. But I will not be made a slave of — 
never. I will defend my rights to the last. 

Mr. K. Have you forgotten what you 
said about three months ago? — "I promise 
to love, honor, and obey." 

Mrs. K. Yes, anyone can see what you 
think of marriage; — something that gives 
you the right to command and makes it my 
duty to obey. (Cries.) A few minutes aga 
you said that you would never change, and 
now you are talking like a hard-hearted 
husband. 

Mr. K. Come, stop that crying. You 



14 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



know that I can't endure to have any one 
around crying. 

Mrs. K. I can't help it; you make me cry. 

Mr. K. O my ! What an old tyrant I 
am ! I force you to cry ! Poor little duck- 
ie ! How unfortunate that you should be 
tied to such a brute ! 

Mrs. K. That's right; add insult to in- 
jury. I would not have believed it an hour 
ago. I felt so well then and now — [Cries 
harder), 

Mr. K. {Aside.) Confound those tears ! 
Now if the old folks should come what 
would they think? {Turns suddenly towards 
her.) Emma, Emma, darling, come let us 
make peace. 

Mrs. K. Peace ! 

Mr. K. It's foolish for us to spoil this 
fine morning. 

Mrs. K. Have you just found that out ? 

Mr. K. No one has less reason to quarrel 
than we. 

Mrs. K. And yet you were so severe to me. 

Mr. K. Now see; I will come half way. 
Here's my hand; come let's be friends. 

Mrs. K. {Slowly talcing his hand.) But you 
did make me feel so badly! 



"the table is set!" 



15 



Mr. K. And now you just say those few 
words. 

Mrs, K. (Drawing away.) What that stuff 
yet! 

Mr. K. And won't you do it? 

Mrs. K. But William — 

Mr. K. I've done my part towards mak- 
ing up; I've given you my hand on it; now 
you ought to give up something. 

Mrs. K. And you still insist on it ? You 
want to begin the dispute over again ? 

Mr. K. No, end the dispute. Say the 
words and it's all right. 

Mrs. K. No, and again, no ! 

Henry. (At the door.) The company are 
here. 

Mr. K. Dry your tears. What will they 
think of you ? 

Mrs. K. I don't know and I don't care. 
I know that I'm not to blame for anything. 

Mr. K. Remember your duty as hostess. 

Mr. Hoffman. (Entering L. with Mrs. Hoff- 
man.) Good morning, children, good morn- 
ing, how goes it with you ? 

Mr. K. (Shaking hands.) We are glad to 
see you, indeed. 

Mrs. H. (After all have shaken hands.) O, 



16 



' THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



my child, (embraces her.) I have not seen you 
for a long time. You stay so closely at home. 

Mrs. K. Mother dear — 

Mrs. H. Yes, yes; I know; it's all right. 
A young wife has other things to do than to 
think of her old mother. 

Mr. H. Well that's the way of the world; 
she must leave father and mother — as the 
Bible says. But Emma, you do think about 
us once in a while do you not, child ? 

Mrs. K. Always, always, father ! 

Mr. K. Shall we not sit down ? {All sit 
at the table,) 

Mr. H. Yes, let's get to eating. It's a 
long way here and the walk has tired me 
and given me a good appetite. Ha ! ha ! 
Kate, so you've set yourself between the 
young people; that's a sharp game of yours. 
Now they can't spend all the time talking to 
each other. This is what I call comfort. 
Why — why — {putting on his eye glasses.) My 
son, you seem excited and Emma looks as if 
she had been crying. Hm, have we had a 
little family scene here ? 

Mrs. H. Come, come, don't talk so rough- 
ly. Let the young folks have it out by 
themselves. 



<c THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



17 



Mr. K. It's nothing — a mere joke — not 
worth talking about. My dear Emma is a 
little too sensitive. 

Mrs. K. There you hear it. " Sensitive " 
with all the rest ! 

Mr. K. It seems to me that before our 
parents at least — 

Mrs. H. Calm yourself, Emma, such little 
things will happen. 

Mrs. K. I know that I ought to control 
myself. I have tried, but — but — I've been 
too deeply wronged. 

Mrs. H. Ah, Ah ! My son. 

Mr. H. Hush, wife, don't mix up in this 
affair. It's the children's business and not 
ours. 

Mr. K. As for Emma's being deeply 
wronged you can judge for yourself, for I am 
going to tell the whole story. 

Mrs. H. Just let the whole matter drop, 
my son, we don't want to mix up in your 
family troubles. 

Mr. K. No, no, I must put myself right 
in your estimation. 

Mr. H. It is not necessary. 

Mr. K. You might think— 

Mr. H. We think nothing. 



18 



"the table is set!" 



Mrs. H. Let him do it; like enough it will 
lead to an understanding. Tell us about it, 
William. 

Mr. K. I overheard, this morning, our 
Henry ask Eliza to say "Heaven be praised, 
the table is set ! " When she refused to do 
it he got into a regular quarrel with her. 
Laughing I told my wife about it. I told 
her playfully that she would not be so obsti- 
nate and asked her, for a joke, to say those 
words. But she refused with such unyield- 
ing stubborness and obstinacy that we had 
quite a sharp dispute. 

Mrs. K. {Beginning to cry,) There — you 
hear it yourselves, — " obstinacy, stubborness, 
sensitiveness." You know for yourselves 
that I never was obstinate. 

Mr. H. H'm, h'm, — well not so very — 

Mrs. H. No, husband, you wrong Emma; 
she has never been obstinate. (To Emma) 
Calm yourself, child, we will not come be- 
tween you. Perhaps you are already recon- 
ciled. 

Mrs. K. O, he still insists upon it that I 
say those hateful words. 

Mrs. H. How ! (to Mr. X. ) You still stick 
to it ? 



"the table is set!" 



19 



Mr. K. Please let us drop the matter. 

Mr. H. Yes, that's what I say; don't spoil 
my breakfast. You are a little fool, Emma. 
And William you must not notice the whims 
of your young wife. She will come around 
like my wife here. (Aside to Mr. IT. but heard 
by Mrs. H.) She knows better than to talk 
back to me. She does just as I wish; and if 
I should ask her to say "Heaven be praised, 
the table is set ! " she would do it at once. 

Mrs. H. That is just what she wouldn't do! 

Mr. H. What ? 

Mrs. H. You would not ask it. 

Mr. H. But if I did ask it ? 

Mrs. H. Then I would not do it. 

Mr. H. Katherine, you are surely not in 
earnest ! 

Mrs. H. Yes, I am. 

Mr. H. You would refuse to do as I ask 
you to ? 

Mrs. H. Yes. 

Mr. K. Please let us talk about some- 
thing else. 

Mr. H. No, sir, this thing must be settled 
first. (Rising and going to her side.) Now, 
my dear Katherine, say just once, " Heaven 
be praised, the table is set ! " 



20 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



Mrs. H. Let me alone, will you ? 
Mr. H. Please say it. 
Mrs. H. Xo. 

Mr. H. I say it every day aloud and to 
myself, from a full heart, when I see that 
the table is ready: " Heaven be praised, the 
table is set ! " Now you just say it once. 

Mrs. H. Xo. 

Mrs. K. Dear mother — 

Mr. H. Katherine ! 

Mrs. H. Xo ! 

Mr. H. Kate ! 

Mrs. H. Xo. 

Mr. H. Katie ! 

Mrs. H. I will not do it. 

Mr. H. What kind of actions are these ? 
Will you set such an example of stubbor- 
ness before your daughter ? 

Mr. K. Come, I pray — 

Mrs. H. There it is, the same old way: 
the men all hold together when subjuga- 
tion to their views is the object. The father 
takes part against his own daughter. 

Mr. H. I take no one's part but my own. 
What goes on between my daughter and her 
husband is nothing to me. What I want is 
for you to do as I say and speak those words. 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



21 



Mrs. H. How can you ask such a nonsen- 
sical thing of your wife ? 

Mr. H. Nonsensical or not, that has noth- 
ing to do with it. It is simply a test of 
obedience, nothing else. So Gesler hung up 
the celebrated hat, for the Swiss to bow 
down to it, simply as a test of obedience. 

Mrs. H. Certainly, and as the hat was a 
foolish and unreasonable thing, the Swiss 
rebelled against their rulers. 

Mrs. K. The Swiss would not submit and 
no more will we. {The women move to one side 
of the room.) 

Mrs. H. We can hold our own, I guess, 
against our husbands. 

Mrs. K. We are wives, but not slaves. 

Mrs. H. Yes, in Turkey the wives may be 
slaves, but we live in a Christian land. 

Mrs. K. Our husbands act as if they would 
like to introduce Turkish customs here. 

Mrs. H. But, Heaven be praised, we are 
no slaves and know how to stand up for our 
rights. We will look into matters and find 
out whether the requests are reasonable be- 
fore we obey them. 

Mrs. K. And with such absurd demands 
we will never comply, never, never, never ! 



22 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



Mrs. H. Never, never, never ! 

{They walk apart. The men, meanwhile, have 
been holding earnest conversation,) 

Mr. H. (To Mr. King.) Well, this is a 
pretty fix, — all the women against us ! 

Mr. K. What shall we do ? 

Mr. H. You can do as you wish. As for 
me, my breakfast is spoiled, and when I 
don't eat my breakfast in peace my dinner 
never tastes well. 

Mr. K. But can't we get out of it in 
some way ? 

Mr. H. My dear boy, this is a kind of 
quarrel in which no one ever makes anything. 
I allowed myself to be drawn in because I 
was a little angry; but I'm calmer now, 
(aside) hungrier too. The women are not so 
much in the wrong. It is just as stubborn 
to keep asking such a thing as it is to refuse 
to doit. (They continue talking.) 

Mrs. K. (To Mrs. H.) If I had known 
how far this thing was going, I would have 
treated it as a joke in the first place and 
done as he wished; but now I can't do it. 

Mrs. H. Certainly you cannot; to yield 
now would be to yield forever. 

Mrs. K. He shall see what a will I have. 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



23 



Mrs. H. That's right, we're agreed there. 
My husband can say " please " a good many 
times before it will make me give up. 

Mrs. K. You will stand by me, mother ? 

Mrs. H. Depend upon it. ( They talk by 
themselves looking frequently towards the men.) 

Mr. H. {To Mr. X.) The wisest men give 
up— 

Mr. K. Yes, I would gladly — but, you 
know, the looks of it — 

Mr. H. What of that ! What does one 
care when he has once confessed his wrong ? 
I tell you we must get out of it by some 
joke. 

Mr. K. Yes, a joke. All of us by this 
time are anxious for peace. Any little thing 
will do. I'll tell you; we'll pretend to make 
them a present, — I have it, — I'll fix things. 
( Goes off quickly. ) 

Mr. H. Look here, children ! {Seating him- 
self at the table ) You are too much for us. 
I am going to brace myself for the continua- 
tion of our struggle with a little breakfast. 
" Heaven be praised, the table is set ! " I 
have only to help myself. 

Mrs. K. Mother, shall we also — 

Mrs. H. Let's not put off our breakfast 



24 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



on account of this foolishness. {They start 
towards the table.) 

Mr. K. (Returning with two shawls.) Dear 
wife, let's put an end to the war. Here is 
my hand for peace. I know that I began 
this quarrel. Now to atone for it, I will give 
you one of these two shawls. 

Mrs. K. Really, William, I do not— 

Mr. K. Choose. 

Mrs. K. In a minute — (looks toward Mrs. H.) 

Mr. K. Choose, choose. You take that; 
all right. Now I've come three-quarters of 
the way, you, — 

Mrs. K. " Heaven be praised, the table 
is set ! " 

Mr. H. (Sitting alone at the table) Bravo, 
girl, you did that well. 

Mr. K. (Taking her arm.) We've declared 
peace. 

Mrs. K. Forever. 

Mr. K. Nething shall ever come between 
us again. 

Mrs. K. Never. 

Mr. H. That's right, stick to that. 
Mrs. H. ( Coming to her husband's side.) Say — 
Mr. H. Hm? 
Mrs. H. See here. 



"the table is set!" 



25 



Mr. H. What do you want ? 
Mrs. H. There's one shawl left. 
Mr. H. Is that so? 

Mrs. H. Will you not make up with me 
also? 

Mr. H. What with a shawl ? O that 
costs too much. 

Mrs. H. But consider — 

Mr. H. I think I can do it more cheaply. 
A young man can't bear to have his wife 
quarrel with him and brings her a present to 
pacify her. But when he is as old as I am 
he does not do that any more. 

Mrs. H. Pshaw, what a horrid old thing ! 
(Mr. H. rises from the table. Enter Henry and 
ffliza, L.) 

Mr. K. Well, Henry, how are you get- 
ting along with Eiiza ? 

H. O, she will not say it yet. 

Mr. K. 0, ho, Eliza, how obstinate ! 

E. But, sir- 
Mrs. K. You must give up, Eliza; you 
must say the words. 

E. Do you know — ? 

Mrs. K. We know all about it. 

Mr. H. Yes, Eliza, you have stirred up 
the whole house. 



26 



" THE TABLE IS SET ! " 



Mrs. H. Yes, yes, you have spoiled the 
whole morning. So for a punishment, you 
must say before all of us: "Heaven be 
praised, the table is set ! " (All laugh.) Well, 
what is the matter ? 

Mr. H. Ha! ha! you have said it yourself, 
old lady ! 

Mrs. H. Then the quarrel is ended. 

Mr. K. Now, Eliza, you are the only one 
left. 

E. I can't do it. 

Mrs, K. If you will do it, I will see to it 
that in three weeks you are married. 

E. Married? O, Heaven be praised! 

All. (laughing) Well—? 

E. Well? 

All. Go on, go on ! 

E. What do you mean ? 

H. Say the rest of it. 

E. 0,-1 see. 

H. Go on !— 

E. " The Table is Set ! " 



CURTAIN. 

R. L. 

Mr. K., Mrs. K., Eliza, Henry, Mrs. H., Mr. H. 



